Lismore

North Coast

Lismore is the cultural and economic capital of the Northern Rivers region, located between stunning rainforests and the sea its temperate climate provides ample opportunity for outdoor activities.

B Grouping

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Location

Lismore is 730 km (8.25 hr drive) north of Sydney and 126km (1.5 hr) south of the Gold Coast.. It is in easy reach of the coastal towns of Ballina (33 km) and Byron Bay (48 km). Goonellabah is the eastern suburb of Lismore.

Many artists and performers have established themselves in this region, and the town has a rich cultural life, reflected in the galleries, theatres, performing arts spaces and live music venues in and around Lismore. Lismore is also the hub for a range of regional government services.

How to get there

Lismore Regional Airport is serviced daily by Regional Express Airlines (REX) with flights to and from Sydney Airport.

Healthcare facilities

Lismore is the health centre for the region and is home to the North Coast’s largest public hospital, a private hospital, and is well serviced by a strong contingent of allied health professionals.

Lismore Base Hospital is a regional referral, level 5 base hospital. It is an accredited teaching hospital and the largest hospital within the Local Health District. It is the designated regional trauma centre and provides specialist services in emergency medicine. It also provides medical staff for the Local Health District retrieval service which covers from Coffs Harbour in the south to the Tweed in the north. The intensive care unit has nine beds. The coronary care unit has four beds. The medical ward provides an acute care service, cardiology, gastroenterology, geriatrics, neurology, endocrinology, infectious diseases and chronic pain. The hospital also has an orthopaedic ward, paediatric ward, perioperative unit, renal unit, surgical services and women’s care unit.

Education

Lismore offers broad mix of public and private school options with nine primary schools, three Catholic primary schools, one K-12 Christian college, two public high schools and two Catholic high schools. There is also a North Coast TAFE Lismore Campus and Southern Cross University.

Childcare

Lismore offers young families a wide variety of options for childcare including long day care, out of hours care, family day care and preschool.

Shopping

As a major regional centre Lismore home to the biggest shopping centre in the Northern Rivers Region. Major stores include Coles, Aldi and Woolworths supermarkets, Kmart, Big W, Target and Bunnings as well as a wide range of specialty and boutique stores, cafes and restaurants.

Places of worship

In Lismore there are places of worship for a range of Christian denominations including Anglican, Baptist, Catholic, Presbyterian, Seventh Day Adventist and Uniting churches. There is also a Islamic musallah in Lismore.

Points of interest

There are numerous galleries and exhibitions throughout the region, and opportunities for music, dance and live theatre. The Northern Rivers Performing Arts company and the Northern Rivers Conservatorium are based in Lismore, while the Star Court Theatre hosts movies, concerts and comedy. Lismore is also known for its sports grounds and hosts numerous major sporting events throughout the year. There are major and local events, including the spectacular Lismore Lantern Parade celebrating the Winter Solstice, events are listed at Lismore festivals/celebrations.

Sporting activities

There is a large range of sporting facilities, sporting clubs and teams in Lismore including athletics, little athletics, baseball, bowls, dancing, softball and yoga. A listing of groups and their contact details are available at the Lismore directory.

Community groups and activities

In Lismore, community groups and volunteer organisations include the Lismore Arts Club, The Barefoot Gypsies Tribal Bellydance Company, CWA Lismore Branch, NSW SES Lismore City Unit, and Rotary Club of Lismore. A listing of groups and their contact details are available at Lismore directory.

Further information

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